


Weaknesses

by navaan



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: AI!Tony Stark, Angst, Avengers Vol. 8 (2018), Comic Book Violence, Hydra Steve Rogers, Inspired by Fanart, Kidnapping, M/M, Obsession, POV Steve Rogers, Presumed Dead, background dubcony themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 18:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15467040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: Hydra!Cap has escaped and Steve can't let him wreak havoc – but what has he done with Tony?





	Weaknesses

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Avalon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14979113) by [Rowantreeisme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowantreeisme/pseuds/Rowantreeisme). 



> Written for the [TRB prompt Confession and the beautiful angsty art by rowantreewrites](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14979113)

He looks down into the bloody face that's like a mirror. Since the other Steve escaped the SHIELD prison Steve hasn't given himself a minute to rest. The Steve - called into existence by the Cosmic Cube, the one who grew up Hydra and never saw the light again, the one who is him without the moral code or understanding for mercy – laughs at him. How does he dare laugh after what he did to the world and this country? How does he dare laugh after how he nearly destroyed everything Steve stands for?

And again the man has brought what's left of Hydra behind himself in a heartbeat, gathered followers, attacked Steve's friends. 

Clint and Bucky are in hospital.

Sam and Misty escaped a trap set for them and warned Sharon in time. All of them are fine. It had been a close call though.

Steve's painfully aware of all the friends and loved ones he hasn't heard from since the attacks.

One being at the top of his list to worry about right now.

There has been no word from Tony. Even worse: They haven't managed to reach Iron Man at all.

“Where is he?” he asks between his teeth.

His mirror laughs at him. He's wearing a green uniform that's a mockery of the red, white and blue he's wearing. “Looks like out of the two of us I'm still the stronger one.”

“Strange how you were the one beat and behind bars then.”

“Strange how I am the one who's ready to take what I want then, isn't it? You never were...”

The implication is too much and for a blinding moment, the anger overwhelms him. His fist connects with the strong cheekbones that are a perfect copy of his own. He hates this. Hates it all. Hates himself for having become this twisted thing even though he knows this _isn't_ him.

“Sir!” someone called out right before Steve's shield crashed into his counterpart's chest with a crunch, not doing any damage. 

“Armor,” the other Steve said and grinned. “Tony's so useful, isn't he?”

Tony would never have given away any of his secrets. But Steve knew there was someone Tony still trusted more than anyone else: Steve. What had the man done?

“Sir! Stark has esc...”

And at that moment - just when Steve's heart wanted to unclench with the realization that whatever the other one had done to Tony, it hadn't been enough to keep his Shellhead from making his own moves - one of the restyled Hydra troupe carriers exploded above them. 

For a moment a shocked Steve's eyes meet the eyes of an equally shocked Steve. But the green-clad one recovers first, his face steeling itself into the mask of a focused leader. He lashes out, letting blows rain down on Steve.

“Both of you, always so weak. Never strong enough to just admit it; admit how much you want each other. I was never that weak. And now look what the idiot did. Rather kill himself than...”

Steve has had enough. His heart bleeds for Tony. It's just like him to sacrifice himself to give the Avengers and Steve an edge. Hell, he might have decided that it's better to die than be a pawn. Tony always valued other lives above his own.

 _Sorry, Tony, Captain America is more important than you._

The memory is as painful as the present. A black hole's about to swallow him and Steve'll be damn if he lets this dark twisted version of himself use Tony's sacrifice to beat all the man ever fought for. 

He uses the shield to push back, stops the other Steve mid-strike.

They stand there like that, pushing, armored fists against shield, struggling for the upper hand.

A blast takes out a Hydra soldier before he can fire his gun at Steve. For a fraction of a second, his heart still clenching with the pain and anger brought on by loss and worry, he thinks Carol or Thor have arrived at the scene to help him. He's about to tell them to stand down, let him have the satisfaction of pushing his own mirrored self face first into the ground. But a familiar voice stops him.

“Steve,” Tony's voice says and both of them freeze as if struck by lightning.

He's satisfied that he's the first to say Tony's name. The other Steve has no right... 

Especially not now.

They let up, break this off as if in agreement when they see the armor hover there with the projected blue face of Tony's AI above the suit as if there was a real body inside.

But the real body lies motionless and bleeding in the suits arms, cradled like a sleeping child.

Steve's eyes burn with tears that want to be shed and anger takes over, he turns to take a hit at his twin. He never makes it. Crossbones has appeared out of nowhere to club him down. With an angry hiss, he goes down, falls to his knees. The other Steve's reinforcements have arrived before the rest of the Avengers and Steve finds himself faced with the muzzles of too many guns.

And Tony's bleeding out in front of his eyes.

A broken rag doll in the arms of his suit.

“Drop the shield, Rogers,” Crossbones says and the darkest satisfaction drips from his words. “Let the better you take over.”

There's a tense moment of silence before the other Steve breaks out of his moment of indecision. He moves towards the armor hovering feet away, but the AI's sad face is turned to Steve, who's still on his knees and fighting the overwhelming feelings of dread. If Tony still has a chance, he needs to make sure he gets it.

“Steve... I'm sorry.”

“Step down,” the other Steve orders. 

“Get Tony out of here,” Steve orders.

“Too late,” the AI announces and there's a hint too much Tony in his voice and expression. “For him, it's too late.”

That his treacherous, dark twin has the audacity to look grieved, made Steve stand up, despite the guns, despite everything. No shots were fired; all eyes are now on the leader who caused all this. Some may be uncomfortable with the man's obsession.

Steve just want's his hands around his throat and Tony safe and alive.

“I'm sorry, Tony. I had so many plans for you. I should have known you'd do something stupid,” the other Steve whispers and the AI actually lets him approach. Only then does Steve realize the armor has nowhere to go. Iron Man's caught inside an energy field, while Tony's limb body dangles from its arms. Then the man in Hydra uniform reaches up to catch the dead hand in his own.

Steve tightens the grip on his shield despite the bad odds. “Don't you dare touch him!”

The other Steve turns around to glare at him. “You were never man enough to be true to yourself where Tony was concerned. At least I would have been strong enough to put him to use long ago. He would have been perfect and useful and...”

The choice of words makes his anger rise to an inferno.

“That's where you're wrong.”

It's not Steve who spoke the words. 

Not the AI either.

But before his startled mind catches up, a repulsor blast knocks his double over and the next moment, Crossbones and all the green uniforms around Steve are doubled over in pain. The “dead” body had used the moment to drop a device on the floor and activate it. A repulsor gauntlet shone on Tony's hand.

“Tony?” he whispers and Tony – bleeding, one eye swollen shut, cuts and bruises visible – hoisted himself up in the arms of the Iron Man just as the AI's holographic interface winks out. 

It took Steve two strides to be there, jumping over his fallen twin, and Tony let himself fall right into his arms. He caught him, didn't stop or hesitate, before kissing him.

“Hi,” Tony whispers exhausted and leans his brow against Steve's. “I hear you saved our new Avengers home from a Hydra assault. I'm glad. Rebuilding really gets old.”

“Thinking you're dead, does too.”

Tony laughed tiredly. “Sorry about that.” Then he looked down at the other Steve – knocked out and sprawled out before them. Steve had given him some good bruises, he noted and felt pleased. He deserved every one of them. 

“He's wrong you know? You were never the weak one, Steve.”

Steve doesn't mind who sees them. He wraps Tony in his arms tightly. “He's right about just one thing. I should have told you I love you years ago.”

At the edges of his vision he sees Thor arriving with Hulk and Carol and he can hear the crackle of Ghost Rider's car in the distance. 

The Avengers have arrived. The odds are now in their favor.

He allows himself to kiss Tony again. Then they can make sure he's fine – and the Captain of Hydra's graces is put away forever this time. Steve will be happy to let Tony design his prison cell.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me for fic updates on [tumblr](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/navaanwrites). This fic has a post on the tumblr [here](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/post/176379814994/weaknesses-navaan-marvel-616-cap-im-trb-fill) in case you want to share it. It also has a page on my [Dreamwidth](https://navaan.dreamwidth.org/617359.html).


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